Egypt Kuwait Holding Company (EKH) is one of the MENA region’s leading investment companies with a diversified portfolio of investments that spans the region in sectors that include oil & gas, petrochemicals, fertilizers, manufacturing, insurance and information technology.
Established in 1997 by a consortium of prominent Kuwaiti and Egyptian businessmen including our former Chairman, the late Nasser Al-Khorafi, the company has flourished during the past decade as the countries of the Arab World began to liberalize their economies and open doors for private sector investments in strategic sectors that had once been off limits.
EKH became one of the fastest growing companies in the Middle East with investments in 18 companies in 4 countries namely Egypt, Kuwait, South Sudan and Syria. Despite the exposure to highly volatile geographies our unique business model, which is based upon equal measures of expertise and diversification, has helped us minimize risk every step of the way. As a result the company has consistently delivered value to its shareholders achieving an impressive return on equity at an average of 15% every year for the last five years.
Some of our largest investments are currently in the hydrocarbons sector; they include upstream drilling and exploration through our subsidiary Tri-Ocean Energy, the distribution of natural gas through Natgas and Fayum Gas and the manufacturing of nitrogen based fertilizers through Alexandria Fertilizers Company. Given the consistently high price of crude oil and fertilizers over the past five years, our hydrocarbons investments are the backbone of our portfolio and steadily contribute to the growth of our bottom line.
EKH shareholders include several prominent institutional investors and individual Kuwaiti and Egyptian financiers along with over 14,000 retail investors who trade EKH stock on the Egyptian and Kuwaiti stock exchanges.
Our portfolio of companies currently employs 5,000 people and has the potential for ongoing job creation as companies and investments mature. As long-term investors we take pride in growing the businesses in which we invest and positively contributing to the economic growth of the region.